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A Good Start to the New Year - Nick Bradley

After quite a bit of training and preparation, I headed out to Bishop for a few days of icy heaven. My main plan was to go do an 8a+ that is very much my style (Crimps and tension) called A Maze of Death. The first thing I was told once I went up to the Buttermilks was that the way to A Maze of Death was covered with about 2 feet of snow, so that plan was kind of thrown out the window.

Since my last trip to bishop I had done all my projects, I needed to find new ones. I warmed up by doing a few laps on a classic 6c traverse, and met up with Mirko Caballero (who before I arrived sent almost 20 7C+ and above that trip), and ended up climbing with for his last few days of the trip. we went down to the Grandma Peabody boulder, which has endless lines variations on crimps and patina. I saw a nice 7C+ crimp line called Center Direct, with a desperate full extension move with a left hand pinch and a right foot toe hook to a nubby patina crimp. I was never too inspired by the line, but I needed to find some new projects, so I thought why not. Turned out I did it within 10-15 goes. Wasn't a bad start to the trip.

The next day I became frustratingly close to multiple 7C+ and 8A, but like I said, new projects. There is this mega highball classic 7B called High Plains Drifter that I was never psyched on until we went up to it. Mirko Andy and I all mapped it out, and got ready to try it. Mirko was first to go, and hiked it, just as Andy did. The pressure was on for me to flash it. Apparently, the problem was easier than it looked, and I flashed it as well. It was a fun line with crimps up to a slopey crux, and ended on a high up easy 5a. Next was the Happy boulders. Again, I was close on many problems, including an 8A called Standing Kill Order. Next trip it will definitely go, and the sit moves aren't very hard, so the 8A+ might go as well. That day I went up to a perfect 8A line called He Got Game Right, that I just had to do. It was the end of the day, so the best I could do was work the moves individually, and eventually I figured out the sequence that worked for me. I took a rest day, and came back on my final day. I had to leave early that day, so I only had 2 hours to warm up and do it. Luckily, I sent it first go of the day. He Got Game became my first 8A! About time too. Next trip most of my projects should go, and maybe I'll finally get to try A Maze of Death!

-Sorry about the irrelevant photos. I need to start remembering to bring a camera..